Tusten Town Board member Ned Lang filed a lawsuit against the town he represents, claiming it has tried to silence his First Amendment rights.

Tusten Town Board member Ned Lang filed a lawsuit against the town he represents, claiming it has tried to silence his First Amendment rights.

In a federal complaint filed on June 9, Lang claims he has been treated unfairly for his support of fracking, a high-pressure natural-gas extraction method, in a town that has a ban on the process.

Lang had put up a 3-by-10-foot sign reading "Let's get frack'n just pass the gas," which Code Enforcement Officer Igor Smetaniuk, who was named in the complaint, said was in violation of the town's code since his sign was larger than the 4 square feet allowed for political signs.

Lang, according to the complaint, then tried to submit an application for another sign supporting fracking.

However, town Building Inspector and Code Officer Gary Amerbach, who is also named in the complaint, voided the application, claiming it was incomplete since Lang did not provide an image of his sign.

Lang is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, along with a ruling from Judge Vincent Briccetti claiming the town violated his First Amendment rights.

Andrew Beam

The search for a superintendent continues as members of the Monticello School District could not come to an agreement on which of the two finalists would replace outgoing Superintendent Dan Teplesky.

A decision has not been made on what to do regarding the two finalists, whose names have not been publicly revealed, said Larry Thomas, district superintendent of Sullivan BOCES.

Board members will meet before mid-July to discuss whether to go with one of the finalists or continue to research other candidates.

According to Thomas, the board will also discuss who will be named interim superintendent for the 2014-2015 school year at the meeting in July.

Andrew Beam

At least one Democratic Committee in New York state isn't backing Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his quest for re-election.

The Town of Callicoon Democratic Committee announced Monday that it was endorsing Fordham University Law professor Zephyr Teachout as the Democratic candidate for governor.

The committee cited Teachout's call for a ban on fracking and her fight to preserve Internet neutrality.

The committee — which also backed Teachout's running mate, Columbia University Law professor Tim Wu, for lieutenant governor -— is headed by Bruce Ferguson. It also consists of former Callicoon Supervisor Linda Babicz, former Sullivan West School District superintendent Ken Hilton, Sonja Hedlund, Van Morrow and Jill Wiener.

Teachout — a long shot at best - didn't just lose the Democrat nomination for governor to Cuomo, she also lost the Working Families' nod.